Workshop Tour of St. Cuthbert’s Reredos Project Workshop

As part of this summer’s Reredos Project at St Cuthbert’s church, specialist conservators Lynne Humphries and Emma Norris will be assessing a collection of painted medieval sculpture from the church in a workshop at Wells and Mendip Museum – a rare opportunity for visitors to see the sculptures, which are normally in storage.

The project focuses on two large stone medieval reredos frameworks in the church, and around 420 broken pieces of the sculpture once contained in them. Dismantled and hidden in the walls of the church during the Reformation, they were rediscovered as recently as 1848. Because they were hidden for so long, much of their medieval paint has survived intact, offering a unique glimpse into the richly decorated medieval church interior.

The conservators will be inspecting the fragments closely, investigating the materials and techniques the medieval craftsmen used. The sculptures are incredibly fragile and haven’t been shown to the public for several decades.

There will be an accompanying display exploring the history of the two reredos and the story of their creation, destruction and rediscovery.

Opening Times

Thursday 8 September: 1115, 1415 & 1515

Friday 9 September: 1115, 1415 & 1515

Booking Details

No booking required

Access

This event is on ground floor so has complete access.

Additional information

Max 10 people per tour/session. Only access to this workshop is free – otherwise normal museum entry fees apply.